Machine for moulding the short sides of building elements having a u-shaped cross section

ABSTRACT

A MACHINE FOR MOULDING THE END WALLS OF CONCRETE BUILDING ELEMENTS OF U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION, THE SIDE AND BOTTOM WALLS OF WHICH ARE BEING MOULDED IN CONSIDERABLE LENGTHS IN SLIDING MOULDS. THE MACHINE COMPRISES TWO INNER MOULDS BEING SPACED APART IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE MACHINE AND SERVING TO FORM ONE SIDE OF THE MOULD FOR MOULDING THE END WALL, AND A BLADE ADAPTED TO   BE RAISED AND LOWERED IN THE GAP BETWEEN THE INNER MOULDS AND TO SERVE AS AN INTERMEDIATE MOULD WHEN MOULDING THE END WALLS OF TWO SUCCESSIVELY DISPOSED BUILDING ELEMENTS.

June i5, 171 JQNELL' ET AL 3584354 MACHINE FOR MOULDING THE SHORT SIDES OF BUILDING ELEMENTS HAVING A U-SHAPED CROSS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 6, l970 N MN MW w S fl 0R 2 mg 1% mm RE x ATTORNEYS June 15, 1971 p Q JQNELL EI'AL 3,584,354

MACHINE FOR MOULDING THE SHORT SIDES OF BUILDING ELEMENTS HAVING A U-SHAPED CROSS Filed Jan. 6, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet l X Fig. 2 r

IN VE N TOPS PER OLOF JONELL SVEN MELKER N/LSSON ATTORNEY;

June 15, 1971 p, Q JONELL ET AL 3,584,354

MACHINE FOR MOULDING THE SHORT SIDES OF BUILDING ELEMENTS HAVING A U-SHAPED CROSS Filed Jan. 6, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS PER OLOF JONELL SVEN MELKER lV/LSSON A TTORNEYS June 15, 1971 o, JONELL ETAL 3,584,354

MACHINE FOR MOULDING THE SHORT SIDES OF BUILDING ELEMENTS HAVING A U-SHAPED CROSS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 6, 1970 INVEN TORS PER OLOF JONELL B svE/v MELKER N/LSSON ATTURNEYS June 15, 1971 p JQNELL ETAL 3,584,354

MACHINE FOR MOULDING THE SHORT SIDES OF BUILDING ELEMENTS HAVING A U-SHAPED CROSS Filed Jan. 6, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FigJO IN VE N TOPS PER OLOF JOA/ELL \svE/v MELKER lv/Lssou zz iw wfg ATTOR/V 3,584,354 Patented June 15, 1971 MACHINE FOR MOULDING THE SHORT SIDES OF BUILDING ELEMENTS HAVING A U-SHAPED CROSS SECTION Per Olof Jonell, Goteborg, and Sven Melker Nilsson, Kallered, Sweden, assignors to Ingeniorsfirman Nilcon Aktiebolag, Kallered, Sweden Filed Jan. 6, 1970, Ser. No. 899 Claims priority application Sweden, Jan. 16, 1969, 543/69 Int. Cl. B28b 7/14, 23/02 US. Cl. 25-1R 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for moulding the end walls of concrete building elements of U-shaped cross section, the side and bottom walls of which are being moulded in considerable lengths in sliding moulds. The machine comprises two inner moulds being spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the machine and serving to form one side of the mould for moulding the end wall, and a blade adapted to be raised and lowered in the gap between the inner moulds and to serve as an intermediate mould when moulding the end walls of two successively disposed building elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is already known how to mould elongate concrete building elements having a U-shaped cross section by means of horizontally sliding moulds, the said elements being intended for use as beams or slabs. When producing such elements concrete is fed out through an opening at the lower end of a container down onto a plane bed. The container which holds the concrete mixture, is slowly moved forwards along the bed while the string of concrete thus moulded is being vibrated, compacted, and, as a rule provided with longitudinal armouring-irons both at the bottom of the channel-shaped concrete string and along the upper edge of the channel walls. Such concrete strings are moulded in lengths of about 100l50 meters and divided into desired lengths to form building elements at the ends of which concrete end walls are attached such that the elements obtain the shape of a cotfer. The moulding of the end or short walls must take place before the concrete of the moulded channel-shaped concrete string bottom and walls has had time to set and harden.

The moulding of the end or short walls has hitherto been carried out more or less manually. The purpose of the present invention is to facilitate the manufacture of these cotter-like building elements such that it becomes possible to manufacture them in series. This increases the rate of production while at the same time decreasing the building element manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This purpose is achieved thereby that the machine in accordance with the invention for moulding the end walls comprises (a) means for cutting the armouring-irons at two different slightly spaced places,

(b) two inner moulds being spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the machine and adapted to be raised and lowered, the said moulds serving to provide internal support for the longitudinal walls of the elements and to form one side of the mould for moulding the end wall,

(c) a number of outer moulds which are adapted to be raised and lowered and to provide external support for the element walls, and

(d) a blade being adapted to be raised and lowered in the gap between the inner moulds and to serve as an intermediate mould when moulding the end walls of two successively disposed building elements, the said blade being arranged to cut off that portion of the walls where the cutting means has severed the armouring-irons.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view of a machine in accordance with the invention for moulding the short or end walls of the building elements.

FIG. 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, a vertical section through the machine along a line 11-11 in FIG. 1, the left half of the figure showing the blade of the machine in its upper position and the right half thereof showing the blade in its lower position.

FIG. 3 shOWs a vertical section through the machine along a line IIIIII in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the machine in position of moulding of two adjacent end walls of two successively arranged building elements.

FIG. 5 is a side view, showing partly in longitudinal section that portion of the machine which is shown in FIG. 4, the machine blade being in its upper position.

FIG. 6 is a similar View, the blade being shown in its lower position.

FIG. 7 is a further similar view, the blade and the machine moulds being in an inoperative position.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the blade in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a vertical section through the end walls after conclusion of the moulding but before separation of the coffers from one another, the blade being in the position shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the ends of the coffers in accordance with FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a vertical section through the machine along a line IX-IX of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The forming machine proper, i.e. the machine for moulding the channel-shaped concrete string, does not form a part of the inventive object and for this reason will not be described in detail. A concrete string having a length of 100450 meters is moulded in sliding moulds on a flat steel bed 1 with the aid of the machine. The concrete string has an essentially U-shaped cross section, comprising a bottom 2 and longitudinal side walls 3. Longitudinal armouring-irons 4 are provided at the string bottom and longitudinal armouring-irons 5 are provided at the upper edge of the side walls 3. Furthermore, the concrete string is provided with a mesh-like armouring 6, at least at the bottom portion 2.

The machine A for moulding the short or end walls 9, 10 of the building elements 7, 8 is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. It consists of a frame 11 carried by running Wheels 12 on longitudinal rails 13 at both sides of the bed 1. The frame also supports a container 14 holding concrete. At the bottom 15 of the container there is a dispensing opening 16 which can be adjusted by means of a damper 17. Below the opening 16 a rocker arm 19 is mounted so as to pivot about a horizontal shaft 18 and said rocker arm can be swung by means of a lever 20 into two positions in which concrete is dispensed.

At the front end of the machine A two cutting discs 23, 24 are arranged in pairs on two horizontal shafts 21 and 22, the discs of each pair being spaced apart a certain distance 25. The shafts 21, 22 are driven in common and mounted at the outer ends of two link arms 26 and 27, the latter being pivotably mounted at their opposite ends about a horizontal shaft 28. The link arms 26 and 27 are by means of links 29 hingedly connected to a lever 31 which is adapted to pivot about a shaft and insertable in recesses 32 and 33 formed at different levels in a front plate 34. When the lever 31 is inserted in recess 32, the cutting blades 23, 24 take their upper inoperative position (indicated in unbroken lines in FIG. 3). By means of the lever 31 it is possible to swing the rotating cutting discs 23, 24 down into the position shown in dash-and-dot lines in FIG. 3.

The machine also comprises a number of moulds, more specifically four outer moulds 35 and 36 (FIGS. 2 and 4) which are intended to give external support to walls 3 of the earlier shaped, moulded, string, and two inner moulds 37 and 38 which are intended both to give internal support to walls 3 and also serve as the mould for the future end walls 9 and 10 of the building elements 7 and 8. The outer moulds 35 and 36 and the inner moulds 37 and 38 are interconnected by means of a supporting structure 39 which can be raised and lowered on the frame 11. In the lower position (operative position) the outer moulds 35, 36 engage by means of a lower edge flange 40 with the inner face of two spacer rails 41 mounted in parallel on the bed 1 and having a downwardly inclining inner surface 42 at the lower edge. The distance 43 (FIG. 2) between the spacer rails 41 determines the width of the building elements 7, 8 in question.

The two inner moulds 37, 38 are provided with one transverse wall 44 each. The two longitudinal walls 45 of the inner moulds are each one provided with an opening 46 at the inner face of which is attached a diaphragm 47 of resilient material, such as crude rubber, the exterior of said diaphragm being covered with foam rubber. Pistons 48, are provided, abutting against the inner face of the diaphragm 47, one such piston being arranged on each arm 50 and 51, respectively, the said arms being pivotable about vertical shafts 52, 53 on brackets 54, 55. By means of a hydraulically operated piston cylinder 56, 57 the pistons 48, 49 can be swung apart such that the diaphragm expands outwards to sealingly press against the inner face of the respective wall 3 of the channel-shaped concrete string. Each inner mould 37, 38 is provided with a vibrator 58. Between the inner mould 37, 38 and the supporting structure 39 (FIG. 5) means for dampering the degree of swinging motion are arranged, such as for instance rubber cushions 59.

In the gap 60 (FIG. 5) between the transverse walls 44, of the inner moulds 37, 38 a blade 61 is vertically insertable so as to serve as a mould, the blade having a horizontal length 62 (FIG. 11) somewhat exceeding the width of the moulded concrete string and being formed at its lower corners with stepped portions 63 enabling the blade to reach by means of its center portion 64 down to the armouring 6 at the bottom 2 of the concrete string without being impeded by the longitudinal armouringirons 4 at the lower corner edges of the moulded string.

Hydraulically operated piston cylinders 65, 66 are adapted to urge blade 61 from an upper, inoperative position (FIG. 5) through the side walls 3 to the lower position shown in FIG. 11. The thickness 67 of blade 61 (FIG. 5) agrees approximately with, or is somewhat smaller than the distance 25 (FIG. 1) between the cutting discs 23, 24 of each pair.

FIG. 8 illustrates a particular embodiment of the blade 61'. According to this embodiment the center portion of the blade extends at the front and back surfaces somewhat beyond the front and back surfaces at the vertical side edges of the blade such that the thickness 68 of the blade at the center portion thereof exceeds the distance 25 between the cutting discs 23, 24.

When the channel-shaped concrete string has been moulded and before it has had time to set, the machine A is moved over the string from one end thereof until the cutting discs 23, 24 attain a position wherein they are in a predetermined distance from the string end, this distance corresponding to the length of the coffer-shaped building element 8 to be produced (it being here imagined that one end wall has already been mounded at the end of the concrete string). With the aid of lever 31 the cuting discs 23, 24, while rotating, are swung downwards cutting the upper longitudinal armouring-irons 5 at two places. The cuts made in the channel walls 3 by the cutting discs 23, 24 are designated in FIG. 5 by numeral 69. The machine A is thereafter moved forwards until blade 61 is in a position straight above the section 70 of the channel walls 3 thus cut. The outer moulds 35, 36 as well as the inner moulds 37, 38 are lowered into the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. By applying a pressure in the cylinders 57, diaphragm 47 is urged outwards into abutment against the inner face of channel walls 3. The blade 61 is lowered thereby cutting away the portion of the channel walls 3 lying between the cuts 69 as far down as to the position shown in FIG. 11. The spaces thus formed between the blade 61 and the outer moulds 35, 36 and the transverse walls 44 of the inner moulds 37, 38 are thereafter filled with concrete from the container 14 through the opening 16, the rocker arm 19, having first taken the position shown in FIG. 1 for filling the left space, being thereafter swung in clockwise direction for filling of the right space to form the end walls 9 and 10. When the concrete has been compacted by means of the vibrator 58 on the inner moulds 37, 38 and also by means of a vibrator 71 on the blade 61, the latter is raised. After drawing-in of the diaphragms 47 into the inner moulds 37, 38 by means of the hydraulically operated piston cylinders 56, 57, said moulds are raised together with the outer moulds 35, 36. The machine A is moved forwards until the cutting discs 23, 24 have moved a distance corresponding to the length of the finished building elements and the above procedure is repeated.

Before setting of the concrete thus moulded the concrete material 72 (FIG. 1) underneath the armouring 6 below the gap between the two partition walls thus formed is scraped off. When the concrete of the building element 8 thus formed has set, the armouring-irons 4 and 6 positioned between this element and the adjacent element 7 at the bottom 2 are cut off, e.g. by means of a gas burner or cutting blowpipe.

At the ends of the building elements 7, 8 produced in this way a vertically extending space is thus formed, and even when the elements are placed end-to-end on a supporting wall of a building, it is possible to position in this space conduits 73, 74, thus eliminating the need to perforate the building elements for this purpose.

The provision of the oblique side face 42 on the spacer rails 41 prevents formation of a burr at the lower longitudinal edges of the building element. Such a burr would have made impossible the positioning of the building elements closely adjacent each other, which would have resulted in an erroneous final measure of the total width of the slab.

As appears from FIG. l-l it is possible to provide the blade 61, adjacent the lower edge thereof, with nozzles 75 connected to a source of compressed air (not shown). At the very moment when the blade 61, after the formation of the end walls 9, 10, is being raised, the concrete around and below the armouring-irons 4, 6 is blown off by means of the compressed air from the nozzles such that the irons are exposed and consequently easily accessible to be burned-off.

The embodiment as shown and described is to be regarded as an example only and the various parts of the end wall moulding machine can be constructively altered in several ways within the scope of the appended claims and in dependence of the transverse dimensions of the concrete frame.

What we claim is:

1. An improved machine for moulding the end walls of concrete building elements of U-shaped cross section, the side and bottom walls of said elements being made in considerable lengths :with longitudinal armouring-irons being provided at least at the upper edge thereof, said machine comprising (a) means for cutting the upper edge armouring-irons at two different slightly spaced places,

(b) two inner moulds being spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the machine and mounted to be raised and lowered, the said moulds serving to provide internal support for the longitudinal walls of l the elements and to form one side of the mould for moulding the end wall,

(c) a number of outer moulds which are mounted to be raised and lowered and to provide external support for the element walls, and

(d) a blade mounted to be raised and lowered in the gap between the inner moulds and to serve as an intermediate mould when moulding the end walls of two successively disposed building elements, the said blade being arranged to cut off that portion of the walls where the cutting means has severed the armouring-irons.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting means are disposed in front of the moulds with relation to the direction of movement of the machine.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting means are in the shape of cutting discs, the said discs being rotatably driven in two mutually spaced transverse vertical planes and being displaceable upwards and downwards in said transverse planes.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting means are disposed in front of the moulds with relation to the direction of movement of the machine and are in the shape of cutting discs, the said discs being rotatably driven in two mutually spaced transverse vertical planes and displaceable upwards and downwards in said transverse planes.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner and outer moulds are displaceable upwards and downwards independently of the vertical displacement of the blade.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein resilient cushions or diaphragms, are mounted on the side portions of the inner moulds serving to provide internal support for the element walls, and being adapted to be pressed against the element walls, said inner and outer moulds being displaceable upwards and downwards independently of the vertical displacement of the blade.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein mutually parallel spacer rails are mounted on the machine bed, the outer moulds being adapted to guide by means of their lower longitudinal edge against the inner face of said spacer rails, said spacer rails being formed with an inwardly inclining inner face at their lower edges.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front and rear walls of the blade at the blade center portion extend somewhat in front of and to the rear of, respectively, the vertical planes in which the cutting means operate.

9. A machine as claimed in claim *1, further comprising nozzles mounted at the lower edge of the blade and connected with a source of compressed air for the purpose of blowing away any concrete mass present below and around the element armouring-irons at the element bottom.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS ROBERT D. BALDWIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 25-41R, 

